How to Call a 24-Hour Plumber in an Emergency

Drip. Drop. Drip.

It’s 3 AM and this is all you can hear. You haven’t slept well in weeks. The sound is driving you bonkers. What’s worse is you can’t get the thought out of your head of a pipe suddenly exploding and destroying your home.

This is a realistic outcome, as destructive plumbing emergencies do happen. But luckily, there is a good chance a 24-hour plumber is not far from you.

Read on to find out what can wait, what can’t, and how you should go about contacting a 24-hour plumber.

Let’s Find a Plumber

This should be easy, right? You look through the yellow pages, make a quick Google search, and whoever has the nicest looking ad or is at the top of the search results gets your money.

Don’t do this. Do your homework. Search online for reviews and ask around with neighbors and co-workers to get an idea of who’s reputable and who you should stay away from.

If you’ve recently relocated or your old plumber has retired, finding a new one should be a priority.

We’ve created a list of questions you should ask any potential plumber you’re thinking of hiring.

1. What are Your Credentials and Certifications?

This is not just a sign of professionalism. If the person you’re looking to hire doesn’t have any certifications or a license, this should be an immediate red flag.

There is a good chance this plumber is just a handyman looking to make a quick buck on their day off. In some areas, doing plumbing work without a license is illegal and could result in warranties being voided among other less attractive consequences.

2. Are You Insured?

Mistakes and accidents do happen, even when the work is being done by a professional. Hiring an insured plumber means you have peace of mind.

The work they do and the parts they use will come with warranties and when accidents do happen, you will be under no obligation to pay for them out of pocket.

3. Do You Have 24 Hour Plumber Availability?

This is an easy one. If you’re looking for a 24-hour plumber, you’re not going to hire anyone who doesn’t offer this service.

However, what you will want to ask about is their rates for coming out on late-night emergency calls. How are they different from normal appointment rates? What are the average response and travel times?

4. What are Your Rates?

You shouldn’t just ask about their regular rates. Ask about what their normal hours of operations are. Putting in an emergency call, even if it’s only an hour after their office doors are shut for the day, will result in an increased service fee.

While you don’t want to be ripped off, the key is their availability and the response time. Having a plumber at your home in under an hour can be the difference between a $100 bill and a $5,000 disaster.

Now that you know what you should be looking for in a 24-hour plumber, let’s talk about what is and is not an emergency and what you can do to help keep the bill as slow as possible.

Localized Problems

If you know how to turn your water off, some localized problems can wait until the next day. This includes things like a clogged toilet or a sink.

If you try to turn the water off the problem continues or worsens somehow, you definitely want to call a 24 hour plumber.

Your Water Bill is Through the Roof

This is a sign you’re dealing with a substantial leak that is invisible to the naked eye. You have no way of knowing just how extensive the damage is.

We consider this a plumbing emergency. Don’t wait to make the call until you can physically see the water.

This is one way you can end up with a flooded basement and thousands of dollars in repairs. You can learn more about how to deal with a flooded basement from AZ plumbers with their fantastic article.

Your Water is Discolored

Seeing discolored water could be you’ve got some serious pipe corrosion on your hands. Sewer lines could be leaking into your clean water as well.

Do not drink this water. Call your 24-hour plumber and describe the color of the fluid. Then go to the store in case they won’t be available for a few hours and purchase some drinkable water.

Leaking and Burst Pipes

This is another definite emergency. Once a pipe burst, a plumber is your hero. There is nothing an amateur handyperson (we’re talking about you) can do to fix this situation.

Unfortunately, any effort to fix it will likely increase the damage, along with your bill.

Sewer Backup

Say it ain’t so. A sewer backup can really ruin your day. Signs of this include a foul odor coming from your drains, a gurgling sound coming from the toilet, and multiple clogged drains.

If your home is victim to any of the above, you have a plumbing emergency on your hands. This isn’t the type of issue that can wait.

Failure to call a professional can result in thousands of dollars in repairs, a really messy, unpleasant job for the plumber, and a smell that will take weeks to get out of your home.

The Takeaway

With the tips from this post, you should know how to hire a 24-hour plumber and how to diagnose a plumbing emergency.

It’s fine to let some things wait for a day. Just make sure that day doesn’t turn into a week or a month.

This blog updates regularly with advice on how to find professional plumbing services and how to tackle problems and emergencies, so check back in as often as you want for updated content.